The City of Chicago has issued a pair of demolition permits that will lead to renovations for the MAAFA Redemption Project in West Garfield Park. The two properties to be razed bookend a church building at 4241 West Washington Boulevard, which will be transformed into the MAAFA Center for Arts & Activism, or The MAC Center.
MAAFA Redemption Project banner on the west wall of 4245 West Washington Boulevard. Via Google Street View
4233 West Washington from the alley, via Google Street View
The MAC Center is part of the Sankofa Wellness Village project led by the New Mt. Pilgrim Church at 4301 West Washington. They broke ground on a wellness center at 4301 West Madison Street this past summer. A pending permit in the Chicago Data Portal will allow a major renovation at the former St. Barnabas Episcopal Church at 4241 West Washington, including “interior and exterior alterations to the existing two-story with basement religious assembly building to convert to a new community center. Work to include demo, new partitions, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing.”
MAC Center rendering via the MAAFA Redemption Project
MAC Center rendering via the MAAFA Redemption Project
Real estate records show 4233 West Washington was built in 1893, and 4245 West Washington in 1959. Both have been owned by the Pilgrim Development Corporation for over a decade. Chicago architecture historian Deborah Mercer sites building dates for the Episcopal Church as 1916 for the sanctuary building, and 1901 for the smaller, attached structure at the rear of the property against the alley.
Site context of the future MAC Center via Google Maps
Site map of Sankofa Wellness Village by Moody Nolan
MBR Wrecking & Construction is named in the permits, which were both issued on January 17, as the demolition contractor. The estimated cost to tear down the two buildings is $20,000 for each one.
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Boo. Why demolish two quality, beautiful buildings.
I’m excited to see something new coming to West Garfield Park, but I really don’t understand why they have to demolish these 2 buildings. Are they going to build something in their lots or what?